Cigarette, electric fault among possible causes of Notre-Dame fire: prosecutors

A badly stubbed-out cigarette or an electrical fault could have started the devastating fire that ripped through Notre-Dame cathedral in April, Paris prosecutors said Wednesday, ruling out any criminal intent.

French investigators were examining many hypotheses "including a malfunctioning of the electrical system or a fire which started with a badly stubbed-out cigarette", said a statement, indicating there was no evidence to back up any theory of "a criminal origin" to the fire.